Before you buy your tickets to Havana, try your hand at our latest Week to Week news quiz.
Here are some random but real hints: I think he thought they were Dutch; Obama said it made a mistake; so much for states' rights; and night, night! Answers are below the quiz.
1. For what did Catherine Crump submit an application?
a. She will challenge Senator Ted Cruz in his reelection campaign
b. She wants to trademark the phrase "I Can't Breathe" for a line of clothing
c. She is seeking to become the first female head of the YMCA
d. She is seeking a patent for the first proven cold fusion process
2. President Obama announced plans to change our diplomatic relationship with what country?
a. Russia
b. North Korea
c. Cuba
d. Saudi Arabia
3. What did incoming Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell say would be his first priority when the GOP assumes control of the Senate?
a. Passing a bill to build the Keystone XL pipeline
b. Ban gay marriage nationally
c. Eliminate government oversight of big banks
d. Defund Obamacare
4. How did a Russian ambassador explain the Swedish government's claims about Russian military aircraft in its airspace?
a. He said the aircraft were really medical planes offering help to undernourished Scandinavians
b. He said the Swedes were "notorious liars and anti-Slav racists"
c. He said the Swedes were probably high on weed
d. He claimed that Russian aircraft were avoiding Scandinavian airspace "because of its current unsafe, over-militarized character"
5. How did Sony react to threats of violence by hackers believed to be linked to North Korea?
a. Announced 24-hour Christmas-day marathon showings of Die Hard VI: Exploding Holiday
b. Began offering kimchi at showings of its films
c. Banned Adam Sandler films
d. Cancelled the release of The Interview, the comedy about an assassination attempt against North Korea's dictator
6. How did Paramount react to threats of violence against theater goers attending The Interview?
a. Agreed to release The Interview itself
b. Added a subplot to the next Star Trek film involving time travel to kill North Korea's first communist dictator
c. Cancelled all screenings of Paramount films playing in multiplexes also playing The Interview
d. Cancelled all screenings of Team America, the puppet comedy that featured an unflattering portrayal of North Korea's dictator
7. Why has Nigeria sentenced 54 of its own soldiers to death?
a. They refused to fight Boko Haram unless they had proper weapons
b. They were implicated in a plot to overthrow the government
c. They were caught recruiting children to join Boko Haram
d. They refused a personal oath of loyalty to Nigeria's president
8. How did at least 145 people (including more than 100 children) die in Pakistan Tuesday?
a. An earthquake devastated rural Lahore
b. Pakistani troops accidentally opened fire on a caravan of school children
c. They were killed by Taliban gunmen
d. A U.S. drone attack
9. What did a study in the British Medical Journal find about Dr. Mehmet Oz's medical advice?
a. About half of it is unreliable
b. He is revolutionizing modern medicine
c. One-third of it will kill you in 20 minutes if you try it
d. Mainstream medicine should follow Oz to adopt more nontraditional treatments
10. What have Nebraska and Oklahoma asked the U.S. Supreme Court to do?
a. Allow them to secede from the Union
b. Ban Sharia law
c. Nullify Colorado's law legalizing marijuana
d. Free them from Obamacare rules governing state responsibilities for Medicare
BONUS. How did Pope Francis celebrate his 78th birthday this week?
a. He hosted a gala televised across Italy and featuring 78 stars of European and American film, television, and song
b. He flooded St. Peter's Square so the public could use it as a skating rink
c. He gave out 400 sleeping bags to homeless people around Rome
d. He battled Smaug for control of the Vatican Bank
Want the live news quiz experience? Join us Wednesday, January 14 in downtown San Francisco for our next live Week to Week political roundtable with a news quiz and a social hour at The Commonwealth Club of California. In this special edition of Week to Week, we'll have the exclusive unveiling of a new Hoover poll of California voters. Panelists include Lanhee J. Chen, Carson Bruno, and Bill Whalen.
ANSWERS:
1) b.
2) c.
3) a.
4) c.
5) d.
6) d.
7) a.
8) c.
9) a.
10) c.
BONUS) c.
Explanations of the hints: I think he thought they were Dutch: the ambassador suggested the Swedes were high; Obama said it made a mistake: the president told reporters at a press conference that he thought Sony made a mistake by canceling the film's release; so much for states' rights: the two more conservative states are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to overrule the voters of Colorado; and night, night!: the pope provided the bedding to comfort the homeless.